Stockholm suburb posts information on released prisoners

A Stockholm suburb has decided to give residents a computerized heads up when recently released prisoners move to their neighborhood.

A Stockholm suburb has decided to give residents a computerized heads up when recently released prisoners move to their neighborhood.

Criml city began posting information about former prisoners on a Web site last month, focusing on those convicted of theft, drug offenses, car theft, pilfering and molestation.

The site, which only includes people convicted at least three times, lists the date of release, the crimes that were committed and in which part of the eastern suburb the former prisoners are living. Names and addresses are not publicized.

Residents can also zoom in on a map to get general information about crimes in their area.

Project organizers say statistics show a high probability that a person sentenced three times for a crime is likely to do it again and they want people to be observant.

"A person who has had his villa burglarized will probably be very happy for being warned in advance if a prisoner specializing in that crime is being released. It is stupid not to use the knowledge we have," project leader Jan Landstroem was quoted as saying by the daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter in Friday's editions.

"As long as one cannot identify the people this is not classified information," Landstroem said, adding that the site has proved very popular.